The Role Of Industrial And Organizational Psychology

Organizational and Industrial (I/O) psychology is used to improve different types of organizational functions. When tasks and employee relationships are not working properly within a company production and profit will be compromised. Some of the issues that I/O manages addresses include poor work habits and dysfunctional work relationships. The following will address group and team concepts that could be implemented to improve performance and diversity, leadership theories that can improve the relationship between management and floor workers, the influence

The purpose of this assignment is to examine the fundamental concepts of the field of industrial/organizational psychology. Using the textbook, the University Library, the Internet, and/or other resources, answer the following questions. Your responses to each question will vary but overall should be 700- to 1,050-words in length.

Spector, P.E. (2012). Industrial and organizational psychology: Research and practice (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley

Once again, goal-oriented behavior should be applied. This method will help motivate the workers, which will be beneficial for both individuals as well as the company. Also, connecting workers inside groups will help increase performance and as a result motivation. Since the current environment is a Theory X one, workers are in a controlled environment, with a highly structured system. This, according to the theory of interpersonal competence, is causing individuals to maintain only superficial relationships, and as a result not fulfilling their self-esteem and social needs. If management is encouraged to promote group work, workers will have to interact

Theory X and Theory Y, developed by Douglas McGregor, grew out of opposition towards classical management methods. Classical management theorists, such as Fredrick Taylor, focused on scientific training and efficiency and did not account for personal and behavioral issues, such as management styles or job satisfaction. McGregor saw these deficiencies in the classical school of management which lead him to develop a theory of management that would factor the importance of the individual worker. If a manager could tap into the feelings and attitudes of their workers, then the manager would be able increase their employee’s motivation which would then increase production. McGregor’s theory viewed the employee as a person and not as a machine

McGregor’s Theory X views people in a negative light. This theory assumes that most employees or people in general, dislike working and do not work unless they have to. It believes that people need to threaten to produce results.

employees will only refer individuals they trust are qualified for the job. Another plus is that referral programs help organizations save costs because search firms and advertisements cost more (Kreissl, 2010).

This approach recognizes the importance of the individual as well as the organization in order to reach the desired goal. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is simply stating that people are motivated by an unfulfilled need and people will work extra hard to fill a need that has not been met. McGregor’s X and Y theory of human motivation is that the average person dislike work and will avoid it whenever possible therefore an organization need a leader that can use authority when necessary, but on the other hand make the job satisfying so the workers will be committed to the organization .Blake and Mouton’s managerial grid represents the production and performance goal as well as the concern for human feelings .An employer must have concern for the people as well as the job (Peak 2007)

Organizational theory studies the various variables that influence the behavior of an individual(s) working within an organization, but also, “prescribes how work and workers ought to be organized and attempts to explain the actual consequences of organizational behavior (including individual actions) on work being performed and on the organization itself.” (Milakovich & Gordon, 2013, p.145). Of the many approaches to organizational analysis, Classical Organizational theory has been, even to this day, extremely influential by focusing on more formal concepts such as bureaucracy, rationalization and scientific management. Although, over the decades organizational management has taken on a more human relations approach to getting more productivity out of employees, it is contributors like Max Webber, Fredrick Taylor, and Luther Gulick that laid down the basic foundation organizational theories by recognizing the need for control and procedures.

Edgar Schein (2004) proposed three levels of organisational culture. As employees go through changes, they gain experiences from the past, adapt to a new environment and develop ability to solve problem. The first level is artefacts, which include all visible characteristics of an organisation, for instance, the architectures/furniture in the office, uniforms of employees and language. These are the observable elements of an organisational culture and might influence the way and attitude of how the employees work. The second level is espoused values in which the influence patterns of observable behaviour at work can be recognised. Each member will impose dominant values and rules of conduct about the culture and these affect employees’ certainty to work under a particular area. The perceived value that can demonstrate reliability and be scientifically tested will be transformed into assumption. It then comes to the third stage of basic assumptions which are taken into granted and are difficult to change. When an assumption or belief about human nature was supported to be worked successfully, this frames how the reality should be and shapes

Douglas McGregor was a management professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He introduced a new motivational theory in his book ‘The Human Side of Enterprise’, stating that all workers were divided into two groups: Theory X and Theory Y. Theory X workers were lazy, irrational and unreliable, and were only motivated by money and threatened by punishment. Theory Y workers were able to seek and accept responsibilities and fulfil any goals given.

The studies failed to prove any positive correlations between workplace conditions and productivity. The results of the studies demonstrated that innate forces of human behavior may have a greater influence on organizations than do mechanistic incentive systems. The legacy of the Hawthorne studies and other organizational research efforts of that period began to emphasize the importance of individual and group interaction, humanistic management skills, and social relationships in the workplace.

10. McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y • Taught psychology at MIT. • At Antioch College, McGregor found that his classroom teaching of human relations did not always work in practice. • From these experiences, his ideas evolve and lead him to recognize the influence of assumptions we make about people and our managerial style. Content Theories of Motivation McGregor‟s Theory X and Theory Y – Theory X • Assumes that workers have little ambition, dislike work, avoid responsibility, and require close supervision. – Theory Y • Assumes that workers can exercise self- direction, desire responsibility, and like to work. – Motivation is maximized by participative decision making, interesting jobs, and good group relations.

The 1998 film Antz is an excellent depiction of the industrial and organizational work force. Being that the film is a Dream Works animation, it has a simple and attention grabbing plot that is given to the viewer through the perspective of a hero, and in this context an colony ant worker named Z (Darnell et al., 1998). This peculiar, open-minded ant portrayed several topics related to industrial organizational psychology such as leadership, occupational stress, and job satisfaction. In addition to the prevalent presence of industrial psychology that can be seen in the main character, other characters and details of the plot are representative of industrial psychology as well. Elements such as organizational commitment and employee selection are intriguingly exemplified through this moralistic story of ants (Darnell et al., 1998).

Theory X assumes employees are inherently lazy and will avoid work if they can and that they inherently dislike work. As a result of this, management believes that workers need to be